Chapter 28 – The Heir in Plain Sight
"Behind the Gold: AUREUS Unfiltered" – Episode 2 (Ongoing)
Global Viewership: 59.7 Million
Trending Hashtags: #JaeheonHeir #4thRichestMan #KangDynasty #NotJustAnIdol
[NEWS OUTLET – 7 MINUTES AFTER BROADCAST]
BREAKING: AUREUS Member 'Jaeheon' Confirmed to Be Hidden Heir of Kang Family Fortune
"Jaeheon Kang, the famously reclusive idol of AUREUS, has just been confirmed on live broadcast to be the second son of Hyunwoo Kang—CEO of KJ Group and currently ranked as the 4th richest man in the world. He is also the grandson of Dojun Kang, the legendary business tycoon considered the most powerful man in South Korea."
– Seoul Times
"Heir of the century."
– Forbes Korea
[ONLINE CHAT – GLOBAL]
@kneeltojaeheon: excuse me… JAEHEON IS WHO????
@kangbloodline: he just gave the host his phone like it wasn't hiding the ENTIRE ECONOMY
@webownow: so he's rich. powerful. cold. obsessed with a faceless goddess. AND BLEEDS IN BALLROOMS???
@imnotsurviving: why do i suddenly feel like i should be lowering my eyes when he speaks
[RECAP – CHAPTER 27 MOMENT]
The host tapped a file.
Not music. Not lyrics.
But a digital family document.
A corporate schedule.
A personal note labeled: "Meeting with Jihoon hyung — KJ Strategy Session. Draft merger structure for grandfather."
The host went still.
Onscreen: The names appeared like thunder.
Dojun Kang – Chairman, Kang Group Holdings
Hyunwoo Kang – Vice-Chairman
Jihoon Kang – Successor
Jaeheon Kang – Unlisted. Private. Until now.
And then—
The world erupted.
[VARIETY SHOW – LIVE STUDIO FEED]
Jeon Mira stared at Jaeheon like she'd never seen him before.
"You never… denied it?"
Jaeheon:
"No one ever asked."
Minjae:
"You never even hinted."
Jaeheon:
"Would it have mattered?"
Yeonwoo:
"…You're the son of the man who owns entire countries."
Jaeheon (quietly):
"And still, I chose this."
[LIVE REACTIONS – OTHER IDOLS, PRODUCERS, CELEBRITIES]
@idolinsider: so this is why his aura has always been terrifying. he wasn't trying. that's just who he is.
@producerx: imagine being the CEO's second son and choosing idol life just to write tragic love songs for a woman who stabbed you
@actresshwayoung: they called him cold. but now we know—he was just trained. born into silence.
[THE FANS – FULL MELTDOWN]
@giltbyblood: he wasn't hiding. we just never looked hard enough.
@crownandchaos: "no one ever asked" is the most powerful line i've ever heard
@jaeheonisgod: HE DIDN'T EVEN CHANGE HIS NAME. HE LITERALLY WALKED IN AS JAHEON KANG AND NO ONE CONNECTED THE DOTS
[STUDIO – FINAL BEAT]
The camera cut back to Jaeheon.
Still unmoved.
Still silent.
Until Jeon Mira asked:
"Why didn't you ever use it? The power. The name."
And he said:
"Because I didn't want the world to see him."
"I wanted them to see me."